Read The Perfect Husband for Free Online Page B

back and reached for
it.
    “Don’t bother. I’m not hungry.”
    She gasped and slowly closed the freezer
door. Nigel stood a few feet away, a churlish expression on his
face. She swallowed a sigh and braced herself for another round of
complaints.
    “I’m happy to grill a steak, Nigel. It won’t
take long to defrost. I could peel some baby potatoes and steam
some of those sugar peas you like so—”
    “I said forget it.” His tone had gone from
annoyed to deadly in the few seconds since he’d complained.
    Her heart leaped with fear, but she bravely
held her ground. The children were in the next room, able to hear
every word. Then she remembered that the presence of his son and
daughter no longer had the usual restraining effect. A little over
a week ago he’d hit her at the table, right in front of them. How had she forgotten?
    Feeling like she’d come to a sudden halt
right at the very edge of an eroding cliff, she stood stock still
and snatched only the tiniest of breaths. One move in the wrong
direction and she’d be plummeting over the other side.
    She waited for Nigel’s next move. She didn’t
have to wait long. He stalked across the room and wrenched a
long-bladed knife from the knife block. Seconds later, he was back
at her side.
    Fear like she’d never known turned her limbs
leaden. She stared at the knife like it was a cobra, poised and
ready to strike. Her breath came fast and her chest felt tight.
Nigel stared back at her, a knowing grin twisting his lips.
    “That got your attention, didn’t it?” he
snarled. A moment later, his tone softened and became almost
conversational. He turned the knife over in his hands, examining it
with interest.
    “Do you know how many ways there are to kill
someone?” Without giving her a chance to answer, he continued in
the same, calm voice. “Let me tell you; more than you can imagine.
I have to admit, my night-time reading has proven quite beneficial
and…entirely enlightening.”
    His gaze, intense and ugly, traveled over
her and she shivered from the menace in his eyes. He took a step
toward her and she gasped and automatically moved back. She came up
hard against the door of the freezer. Once again, she was paralyzed
with fear. A triumphant expression lit up his eyes and he closed
the distance between them, his gaze never leaving hers. He leaned
in close and she whimpered, way beyond forming even the simplest of
words.
    With his mouth just inches from her ear, he
whispered, “All it takes is a flick of the wrist and a sharp blade
and we both know I have access to some very sharp blades. I
know just where to cut. One slice across your carotid and you’d be
dead before you hit the floor.” He smirked. “Trust me. I’m a
doctor.”
    He pulled back a little, but still crowded
her space. Her heart thumped and her mouth went dry. She could hear
nothing over the rush of blood in her ears, but still she heard
everything that mattered, including her husband’s humorless
chuckle.
    “Like I said, I’ve been doing some very
interesting reading. I’ve already learned so many fascinating
tricks. I think I could stage a believable break-in. Of course,
when it happens, I’ll be conveniently at work. The roster will show
I’m there and it will be verified by my staff. No one will think it
strange if I disappear for an hour or so. I’m entitled to lunch,
after all and everyone knows I can’t abide the crap they serve up
in the cafeteria. Yes, I think an hour should do it.”
    He made a sudden movement and she cried out
in fear. A second later, the cold, hard blade of the knife pressed
against the fragile skin of her neck. She stared up at him,
petrified.
    His breath came fast. A wild look filled his
eyes. His face morphed into something so ugly and distorted, she
barely recognized him. Terror gushed through her veins and filled
her heart with ice. She stared at him, too frightened to make
another sound.
    “Daddy! Stop! What are you doing?”
    Ben stood in the